We Meet Not As We Parted
by Josriel
Summary: Post-S4E5. A certain blonde was having a hard time dealing with all the emotions that had been messing with her head. A certain hybrid had finally got back from his 'business trip' to Italy. She was annoyed. He was relieved. What did that make them?


**Chapter One || Maybe**

_I don't want to be the first to let it go_  
_But I know, I know, I know_  
_If you have the last hands that I want to hold_  
_The I know I've got to let them go_

Life had finally been rather quiet for a short while since the brutal hybrid was out of town. Caroline had to admit that she was at least a little bit relieved about his absence. Although Klaus hadn't done something extremely unforgivable for quite some time, she'd got this weird, complicated feeling every time he and his conceited smirk made appearance. She was annoyed, desperate to be set free from everything he had been planning about her, romance involved or not, and besides that, she was terrified as well. Terrified of him, but most of all, terrified of herself.

Perhaps it was about time to sort things out. After all, the only man that should be lingering in her mind all day was Tyler, her one and only boyfriend, right? They should be faithful to each other. She, should be faithful to him.

After pacing back and forth inside her bedroom for over half an hour bright and early in the morning, the blonde vampire finally decided to pay a visit at her boyfriend's house. After all, there was a quite unwelcome guest staying there with him, well, at least that girl was unwelcomed by her. Throwing her pajamas on the bed, slipping herself into a bright yellow dress then putting on a jacket, Caroline grabbed her purse from the counter and headed towards the front door. The sheriff had already gone to work due to the recent troublesome events, and she was quite surprised to notice that her mom had left her some toast on the dining table. Liz knew she didn't need this kind of food, yet she also knew how much her daughter wanted to feel normal again and was being nothing else but completely supportive. Caroline gave a knowing smile and grabbed the breakfast along with her.

She continued her way to the front door, opened it then put one corner of the toast in her mouth to go through her bag from the keys. It took her a rather long moment, just as usual. And if her attention was not entirely on the search, she would have noticed someone was approaching. And if she had noticed that, she wouldn't have got all astonished and dropped the bread on her porch when she turned around and met the hybrid's blue eyes.

He was back. And he was standing right in front of her, when she was least prepared.

Nevertheless, the weirdest part was, he looked just as bewildered as her.

Klaus' lips parted when he tried to say something, yet it turned out to be a failure. He had just got back from Italy, after digging up an ancient grave just to find that sword with a specific mark on it. He was tired, exhausted, longing for a fancy nap on the soft, comfortable bed in his bedroom, but he knew he wouldn't be able to fall asleep without checking on her first. It was their first meeting after the not-so-pleasant event in the woods, and after he learned about Tyler's dishonest behaviour towards her. She appeared to be as ravishing as always, so he assumed that the boy hadn't come clean yet.

And this was the trillionth time he killed that first successful hybrid in his cold, ruthless heart.

Perhaps he should apply that imagination into reality sometime soon.

"Klaus?" Caroline made a fist as soon as she realised she had been acting like an unresponsive idiot. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in –"

"Italy." The hybrid interrupted her with a clear in the throat to hide his awkwardness. "Well, I was, just last night. But I've finished all the errands there, and why stay since I've been in that country for a thousand times already?" His smirk weakened a bit when he recalled how she said she hadn't really been anywhere. But it came back on his lips right after she raised her head a bit to look like her normal arrogant, distant self before him. "I suppose you've missed me?"

The young vampire rolled her eyes with no hesitation. "In your dreams." She took a step aside, wanted to walk past him and once again head to the very place she had determined to visit. "Now move. Unlike you, I'm quite busy at the moment."

But he quickly kept up with her pace, regardless of the obvious expression her face indicating that she wanted to be left alone. "Where are you going, love? If I may ask."

"Aww, you may not." She shot him an angry glare. "I've got a boyfriend to see."

"No, you don't." All of a sudden, Klaus took the blonde by the arm and forced her to stay where they were.

Caroline looked down at where he was holding her, utterly confused and surprised, then looked up into his blue hues with frowned eyebrows. "Excuse me?" She spoke in mild amusement. "Who do you think you are to decide that for me?"

The hybrid looked away from her gaze, stuttered to come up with a lame excuse. "He's… he's not worth your attention."

"And you think you are?" She slightly shook her head while trying to pull her arm out of his control. "Is this another sick joke of yours?"

"I'm simply looking out for you, love, that's all."

Her breath shortened as that familiar word slipped out of his blood red lips again. And there was that strange feeling, all overwhelming inside her persuading her to give up on her previous plan for the morning and just stay. "Well, thank you… I guess." Her voice trailed off in confusion. "But we both know that I'm very capable of taking care of myself."

Klaus let out a heavy sigh, rather helpless with her stubbornness. "You don't understand, Caroline. He's not the innocent boy you think he is." His eyes were filled with genuineness, which was rather rare unless he was with her, as he secretly hoped they would be of any help to convince her into believing those words.

"Oh, is that so? Then why don't you just tell me the things I've missed out, huh? You'd be more than happy to ruin every good memory I have about him, don't you, evil master?"

He was beyond frustrated. Explaining himself had never been the kind of trick he was good at, and he never cared to pay any attention to that department before. "Why do you always think that low of me?" His voice was husky; being back from a long trip just moments ago had already worn out his patience, especially when he didn't have much patience in the first place.

"Why don't you spit everything out so we can finally go our separate ways?"

"Because I don't want you to get hurt!"

Caroline didn't expect the always-so-gentle man yelling out those words at her, not when the words themselves could bring such magic effects apparently. And all of a sudden, the plan Tyler had told her the day before came back in her mind. Obviously Klaus hadn't realised its very existence. She crossed her arms in front of her chest when he let go of her. "Try me." With her gaze fixating on the hybrid, she decided to figure out what exactly was in that mysterious mind of his. It's not like she was really busy or anything. Spending a little while here definitely wouldn't hurt, right?

He remained silence for a few minutes, as if considering the pros and cons if he started speaking again. "You haven't wondered what he's been doing and who he's been with this whole time while he's away?" Klaus asked tentatively.

"He's been trying to break the sire bond to you, obviously, for me."

"That's just one side of the story."

"Oh, is it? Then what's the other side I haven't figured out by myself?"

He took a deep breath inside, sticking out his tongue to wet the lips out of habit and nervousness. "I don't think I should be the one to tell you this."

"Alright then. Forget it." Caroline stroked her hair back, was about to walk away from him once again.

"Wait." He reached out his hands to stop her, even before she actually took a step. "He's not being completely honest with you… about that new girl staying with him. Hayley I suppose."

"Oh, you mean you think they were banging each other?" Her smile widened as defiance. "Save it, Klaus. Tyler already explained everything to me. It's simply a misunderstanding."

"And you believed him?"

"Why not?" Caroline shrugged. "Trust is the basic requirement of a relationship, isn't it? Well, not that you would understand any of this…"

Yet the seriousness on his face indicated how worried he actually was for her. "Don't let him fool you, Caroline, I thought you were smarter than that."

"If he's fooling anyone, that would be you, not me."

She almost regretted it the moment she said those words. Damn it! Once a terrible liar, forever a terrible liar. The blonde tried to escape from the sensitive original while pretending she had only said a casual fact, but apparently he was not that easy to be fooled.

"What do you mean?"

Her lips were sealed, perhaps not for eternity, but at least it would last as long as he was still with her.

"Is there anything I should be informed of?" Right. She had forgotten that he would never give up until he got the answer he needed as well. Damn it! Why did everything have to be fucked up when it came to him? But on the other hand, her stubbornness was not something that should be sneezed at, too. He would not get any further information on this matter, at least not from her.

"If you were telling the truth… that Tyler was not messing around with his new mate, then why would he make me think that way?" Klaus clearly was brainstorming as his eyes were narrowed. Caroline waited for him to speak again with bated breath, silently wishing he wasn't clever enough to figure everything out this soon, even though she knew he should not be underestimated. "Unless…" The hybrid's eyes shined as if an idea came to him all of a sudden. "There's something else beneath the surface, something darker, something he does not want me to know."

Staring into the girl's rapidly blinking eyes, he finally realised it. "He's trying to free all my hybrids from the sire bond, is he not?"

"Are you going to kill him? And all the others?" She responded with another irrelevant question, anxious for the reply that was about to come. If Klaus said yes, if he really was furious enough to murder everyone because they had or was about to betray him, then she would do anything she could to stop him, even if that meant she had to face her own death.

But the only thing she got in return was a chuckle that escaped his lips.

He was laughing, at her, because he somehow found her question rather amusing.

"What's so funny?" She furrowed her eyebrows again, annoyed and bewildered at the same time. Had he gone insane? Otherwise why would he found amusement in such a serious matter? His humour was all over the place and he couldn't help it?

"Nothing in particular, love. Just that it's quite the relief hearing you wouldn't suffer from the misery of being cheated on." Tiredness suddenly found its way into his bloodshot eyes. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd love to have some sleep before something else needs to be fixed." Klaus gave a warm smile while Caroline was still absent-minded, then vanished within a blink.

She stood there, staring at the very spot he was standing at just a moment ago, filled with a thousand thoughts. He was relieved because she wouldn't have to be heartbroken over a break up? What was that supposed to mean? He wanted nothing else but for her to be happy ever after? This could not be the case, not when it was Klaus the mass murderer!

"Great." Caroline murmured, five minutes after that bastard befuddled her brain and left her here wondering what was wrong with her burdened heart. She walked towards the direction of the Grill instead of the mayor's house she had planned to visit.

This had got to be the perfect moment for someone to get wasted.


End file.
